Ball, in particular a soccer ball, and method of manufacturing a ball

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a ball, in particular a soccer ball, comprising: a shell with a plurality of panels on an outside of the shell, wherein the plurality of panels are arranged in such a way that there is a gap between two adjacent panels, and wherein the gap is at least partly filled with a filling material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a ball, in particular a soccer ball,and a method of manufacturing such a ball.

2, Background Art

Balls, in particular balls for ball sports such as soccer, are usuallysewn together from either single pieces of leather or synthetic leather.Balls may also be made with panels manufactured mostly from plastic thatare glued on a bladder or on a carcass arranged onto a bladder forreinforcement. The latter kind of balls are also called laminated balls.

A sewn ball is manufactured from a plurality of pieces of leather orsynthetic leather, the edges of which are folded inwardly and are sewntogether by a needle. By corresponding choice of geometry of the piecesof leather or synthetic leather, an approximately spherical shape isprovided by the sewing together. For reinforcement, fabric is usuallyglued on the backside of the pieces of leather or synthetic leather. Abladder of, for example, rubber providing the necessary airtightness ismostly inserted into the hand-sewn ball. The bladder also comprises avalve for inflating the ball. Between the bladder and the pieces ofleather or synthetic leather, a carcass made of fabric or of one or morecircumferential threads can be arranged for reinforcement and forprotection of the bladder.

For such a sewn-together ball, the edges of the pieces of leather orsynthetic leather are folded against the inside and thus are sewn withadjacent, i.e. adjoining pieces of leather or synthetic leather. In thisway, a seam in the form of a groove is formed on the outside of the ballbetween adjacent pieces of leather or synthetic leather. Such a seamgenerally comprises a width at the top (i.e., at the side turning awayfrom the center of the ball) of approximately 2.5 mm and a depth ofapproximately 2.0 mm.

It has been proven that the seams of sewn-together balls positivelyaffect the aerodynamic properties by reducing the drag and accordinglyallowing further flight distances. As a cause therefore, smallturbulences on the surface of the flying ball are considered. Moreover,the seams contribute positively to the gripping properties of the ball,i.e., the ball can be gripped and controlled more easily.

Because the ball has a three-dimensional shape it, however, cannot besewn by a machine, but has to be sewn by hand. The disadvantage is thatsuch hand-sewn balls are subject to big fluctuations in production,which on the one hand can affect the quality and on the other hand implyvariations in weight, size, spherical shape, flight, and grippingproperties. Another disadvantage of hand-sewn balls is the considerabletime of their manufacturing.

These disadvantages are partly overcome with laminated balls as thepanels do not have to be sewn by hand for these balls. The usualfluctuations in production for hand-sewn balls are thus found inlaminated balls to a lesser extent. Moreover, a laminated ball may atleast partly be manufactured by corresponding machines. As a result, andby the elimination of sewing by hand, laminated balls can essentially bemanufactured more quickly.

However, laminated balls have worse flight and gripping properties asthe groove between the different panels comprises a lower depth (usuallyapproximately 1 mm). Furthermore, there are no, or at best limited,possibilities for conventional manufacturing methods of laminated ballsto influence the geometry (e.g., depth, width, cross-sectional profile,etc.) and the surface properties (e.g., static friction, haptics,roughness, etc.) of this groove.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,894 B1 shows a method of manufacturing a basketballwhich comprises among other things the following steps of: (a) supplyinga sheet of rubber material; (b) folding, compressing and cutting therubber material to make the rubber material into a bladder; (c) mountinga valve in the bladder; (d) inflating the bladder with air and curingthe bladder; wrapping at least one thread on the inflated bladder; (f)gluing the rubber arches on the surface of the lagged layer; (g) makinga groove at each junction between adjacent rubber sheets; (h) bonding athinner and narrower strip than the rubber sheets at each junction ofadjacent rubber sheets; (i) heating and curing the relatively largemultiple rubber sheets together with the strips in a mold havingmultiple protruding ribs defined therein to make a basketball, wherebythe basketball possesses multiple, relatively concave depressions havingtwo slanting walls defined therein.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,416 relates to a method of manufacturing a soccerball covered with leather. The soccer ball is made by taking a bladderthat has been wound with nylon cord and is covered with a layer ofrubber, all of which is conventional, and covering it with severalrubber segments, including strips at the seams, built up areas adjacentto the seams and a shaped element at each end.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,662 relates to a sports ball and a correspondingmethod of manufacturing. An inflatable tube is inserted into a top layerformed by a thin rubber pocket manufactured from a material which doesnot allow a solution of a bonding agent to penetrate through the toplayer and an inorganic lubricant is arranged between the tube and thetop layer.

EP 1 080 745 B2 relates to a laminated ball with a bladder and aplurality of pieces of leather arranged thereon, wherein the pieces ofleather are bonded together at the discontinuities. The pieces ofleather are directly bonded together so that there are no gaps betweenthe pieces of leather when applying adjacent pieces of leather onto thebladder.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,574,104 relates to an inflatable sports ball structureand a manufacturing method thereof. The inflatable sports ball structurecomprises an inner bladder, a reinforced carcass, and an exteriormaterial layer. The reinforced carcass covers the surface of the innerbladder, and has a thread wound layer. Part of the thread wound layer isembedded in the reinforced carcass and provides a constricting forcetowards the inner bladder, and a small remaining part of the threadwound layer may be exposed on the outer surface of the reinforcedcarcass.

The primary object of the present invention is therefore to provide ahail, in particular a soccer ball, which on the one hand is manufacturedrelatively quickly, easily, and cost-effectively, and on the other hand,comprises very good flight and gripping properties approaching those ofa hand-sewn ball, but without the usual quality fluctuations forhand-sewn bails. In addition, the flight and gripping properties of thebail should be adjustable individually.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to some embodiments, the above mentioned problem is solved bya ball, in particular a soccer ball, comprising a shell with a pluralityof panels on the outside of the shell, wherein the panels are arrangedin such a way that there is at least one gap between at least twoadjacent panels, and wherein the at least one gap is at least partlyfilled with a filling material.

According to some embodiments, the ball thus comprises, in part, atleast one gap between two panels. A gap according to some embodiments isunderstood to mean the panels do not touch in the area of the gap and afree space is formed between the respective panels. If the gap was notfilled with a filling material according to some embodiments, the shellon which the panels are arranged would be visible through the gap.However according to some embodiments, two panels may form a gap in onearea and touch each other in another area.

The ball according to some embodiments may be manufactured relativelyquickly, easily, and cost-effectively as the panels are, for instance,glued on an appropriate shell (a bladder or a bladder reinforced with acarcass). This can also be done automatically by means of an appropriatemachine. At the same time, a gap is formed between at least two panels,which is filled with filling material. Thus, the filled gap imitates aseam of a hand-sewn ball and affects positively the aerodynamicproperties of the ball. The filling material is defined as insertableinto the respective gap. Therefore, certain aerodynamic properties ofthe manufactured ball can be affected and determined very specifically.A height and/or width of the respective gap can be determinedindividually.

On the one hand, the geometry (e.g., depth, width, cross-sectionalprofile, curvatures, etc.) and the surface properties (e.g., staticfriction, haptics, roughness, etc.) of the filled gap may be selectivelyinfluenced by the quantity of the filling material and on the other handby the quality of the filling material. For example, a particularlynon-slip tilling material may be used to improve the gripping propertiesof the ball.

A depth of the filled gap is at least 1 mm according to someembodiments, at least 1.5 mm according to some embodiments, and at least2 mm according to some embodiments. The quantity of the filling materialcan be affected in such a way that the desirable minimum depth of thefilled gap is maintained.

Moreover, the gap of the ball according to some embodiments may befilled automatically by means of a machine to reduce the fluctuations inproduction (and therefore the fluctuations regarding aerodynamics andhaptics) between different balls to a minimum. Unlike hand-sewn balls,the “seam” (i.e., the filled gap) therefore always comprises the samecross section for any ball.

In contrast to conventional laminated balls, on the one hand thefluctuations in production are further reduced and on the other hand thegeometry and surface quality of the “seam” may be set specifically inorder to obtain still better flight and gripping properties. Forexample, a much wider “seam” may be obtained than it is possible forconventional laminated balls where the adjacent panels contact eachother.

The filling material fills the gap in such a way that the outside of theshell is completely covered inside the gap. Thus, the underlying shellmay be protected and a penetration of water is prevented. Unlike ahand-sewn ball, a ball according to some embodiments does not soak upwith water.

The filling material may be a cured filling material being liquid beforethe curing. Liquid filling material may be processed easily and fillsthe gap very well as it fits to the form of the gap and flows into it,so to speak. As a result, the ball becomes especially waterproof.

The filling material may comprise polyurethane or silicone. Thesematerials are easy to process, comprise advantageous surfaceproperties—in particular a high static friction, and provide a highlevel of waterproofness. In particular, the material properties ofpolyurethane, for instance the viscosity, are particularly adjustable.Polyurethane comprises also a high affinity to the surrounding material,in particular to the material of the panels and of the shell.Alternatively, other materials can also be used as filling material, forinstance resin systems.

The filling material may comprise at least one lighting element. Theball is thus clearly visible for low-light conditions (e.g., in thetwilight). Furthermore, an individualization of the manufactured ballmay be achieved by a certain color selection of the lighting elements.For example, the lighting elements may thus be chosen in certain clubcolors. As lighting elements, LEDs, Micro-LEDs, or OLEDs may be, forexample, embedded into the filling material. The filling material mayfurther be a phosphorescent or chemiluminescent material lightingparticularly in the dark. A business model may also be that differentballs with different embedded lighting elements may be for sale. Hence,it is possible for customers to purchase lighting balls in certaincolors.

A display, from which information may be read, may further be embeddedinto the filling material. For example, such information may be anindication regarding measured shooting speeds, impact forces, flyingheights, or playing times. Sensors for measuring such an indication maybe arranged inside of the ball. Alternatively, it is conceivable thatinformation can be inputted by a display arranged in the fillingmaterial, for instance by a touch-screen.

The filling material may also generally be formed as a display. Hence,it is possible that the filling material changes its color depending onthe measured information. Thus, it is conceivable that the fillingmaterial lights in different colors depending on measured shootingspeeds or shooting forces. Thus, the filling material may light in afirst color for a first shooting force range, in a second color for asecond shooting force range and in a third color for a third shootingforce range.

The filling material may comprise at least one electronic element. Forexample, the electronic element may be an RFID or NFC tag by whichinformation can be read about the ball.

The filling material may fill about 50% or more of the cross-sectionalarea of the gap. In this way the gap is well closed and protectedagainst penetrating water. On the other hand, the unfilled part of thecross section of the gap is still deep enough in order to achieve goodflight and gripping properties.

It is advantageous to fill the gap with filling material in such a waythat the filling material extends into an area between chamferedsurfaces of the panels. The height of the filling material is preferablyhigher than the height of lateral edges of the panels and lower than thetotal height of the panels. Each of the chamfered surfaces extendsbetween the lateral edges of the panels and the outer surfaces of thepanels. It is particularly advantageous if the height of the fillingmaterial is only slightly higher than the height of the lateral edges ofthe panels. Instead of chamfered, the surfaces may also comprise aconvex or concave shape.

The height of the filling material is preferably constant along alongitudinal axis of the gap being parallel to the surface of the shell.

At least one panel of the plurality of panels may comprise a pseudo seamextending over at least a part of an outer surface of the panel. Apseudo seam is a groove on a panel giving the appearance of a joint oftwo panels. Pseudo seams may influence positively the aerodynamics andhaptics of the ball by an appropriate choice of their depth.

The at least one pseudo seam may be filled with the filling material. Inthis way, there is no identifiable difference from the outside betweenthe gap and the pseudo seam, which is advantageous for the look,aerodynamics, and haptics of the ball.

The mentioned minimum depth of at least 1 mm, at least 1.5 mm, or atleast 2 mm applies to both the filled gap and the at least one pseudoseam.

The shell may be a bladder or a carcass arranged onto a bladder. Abladder provides the necessary airtightness of the ball and a carcassstabilizes the bladder and protects it against external shocks.

Some embodiments also relate to a method of manufacturing a ball, inparticular a soccer ball, comprising the steps of providing a shell,providing a plurality of panels, arranging the plurality of panels onthe shell so that there is at least one gap between at least twoadjacent panels, and filling at least partly the at least one gap with afilling material.

According to some embodiments, at least two panels are arranged in sucha way that there is a gap between them. A gap according to someembodiments is understood to mean the panels do not touch in the area ofthe gap and a free space is formed between the respective panels. If thegap was not filled with a filling material according to someembodiments, the shell on which the panels are arranged would be visiblethrough the gap. However according to some embodiments, two panels mayform a gap in one area and touch each other in another area.

The method according to some embodiments enables a relatively quick,easy, and cost-effective manufacture of the ball where the panels are,for instance, glued on an appropriate shell (a bladder or a bladderreinforced with a carcass). This can also be done automatically by meansof an appropriate machine. At the same time, a gap is formed between atleast two panels, which is filled with filling material. Thus, thefilled gap imitates a seam of a hand-sewn ball and influences positivelythe aerodynamic properties of the ball.

The geometry (e.g., depth, width, cross-sectional profile, curvatures,etc.) and the surface properties (e.g., static friction, haptics,roughness, etc.) of the filled gap may be selectively influenced on theone hand by the quantity of the filling material and on the other handby the quality of the filling material. For example, a particularlynon-slip filling material may be used to improve the gripping propertiesof the ball.

Moreover, the method according to some embodiments enables the automaticfilling of the gap by means of a machine to reduce the fluctuations inproduction (and therefore the fluctuations regarding aerodynamics andhaptics) between different balls to a minimum. Unlike hand-sewn balls,the “seam” (i.e., the filled gap) therefore always comprises the samecross section for any ball. Moreover, the gaps may be created in adefined way. A filling of the gaps with filling material may also beachieved selectively and individually.

In contrast to conventional manufacturing methods of laminated balls, onthe one hand the fluctuations in production are further reduced, and onthe other hand, the geometry and surface quality of the “seam” may beset specifically in order to obtain still better flight and grippingproperties. For example, a much wider “seam” may be obtained than ispossible for conventional laminated balls where the adjacent panelscontact each other.

The step of filling may be carried out in such a way that the fillingmaterial fills the gap in such a way that the outside of the shell iscompletely covered inside the gap. Thus, the underlying shell may beprotected and a penetration of water is prevented. Unlike a hand-sewnball, a ball according to the present invention does not soak up withwater.

The filling material may be liquid and the method may further comprisethe step of curing the liquid filling material. A liquid fillingmaterial may be processed easily and fills the gap very well as it fitsto the form of the gap and flows into it so to speak. As a result, theball becomes especially waterproof.

The filling material may be applied from the outside in order to fillthe at least one gap. For example, a robot may be used, which enables anespecially precise filling of the gap.

The filling material may be applied by a three-dimensional applicationtechnique. A three-dimensional application technique is understood tomean a method wherein an application apparatus moves in space around aworkpiece, in this case a ball. Alternatively, it is also possible thatthe ball is moved around a fixed application apparatus.

The method may further comprise the step of forming at least one pseudoseam onto at least one panel which extends at least over a part of oneouter surface of the panel. A pseudo seam is a groove on a panel thatgives the appearance of being a joint of two panels. Pseudo seams mayinfluence positively the aerodynamics and haptics of the ball for anappropriate choice of their depth and arrangement.

The method may further comprise the step of filling the at least onepseudo seam with the filling material. In this way, there is noidentifiable difference from the outside between the gap and the pseudoseam which is advantageous for the look, aerodynamics, and haptics ofthe ball.

The step of filling the at least one gap with a filling material may bearranged in such a way that the filling material enters from the outsideof the shell into the gap. For example, a layer of the filling materialmay initially be applied onto the ball and the panels may then bepressed onto the ball (e.g., in a mold) so that the filling materialenters into the gap from below (i.e., from the center of the ball) andfills it.

The method may further comprise the step of arranging the plurality ofpanels in a mold. The use of molds allows a uniform pressure forpressing the panels against the shell and reduces fluctuations inproduction.

The method may further comprise the step of supplying the panels to theshell by means of the mold so that the at least one gap is formedbetween the at least two adjacent panels and gaps are formed between thepanels and the shell. The mold may comprise recesses to receive thepanels. The recesses are distanced in such a way that the panels formthe gap when being applied to the shell. In this way, the width of thegap may be adjustable very precisely and fluctuations in production maybe reduced.

The method may further comprise the step of injecting the fillingmaterial into the gaps or slits between the panels and the shell. Thefilling material may bond both adjacent panels with each other as wellas the panels with the shell. Additional adhesives may be dispensedwith.

The method may further comprise the steps of: arranging the plurality ofpanels on the shell by a robot arm and arranging the shell with theplurality of panels in a mold. Thereby, the robot arm may very exactlyand precisely position the panels onto the shell before they are pressedby the mold to the shell at high pressure.

The method may further comprise the step of rotating the mold so thatthe filling material is essentially (i.e., within unavoidablefluctuations in production) uniformly distributed in the at least onegap. In this way, a distribution of the filling material in the gapresults as uniformly as possible.

The filling material may comprise polyurethane or silicone. Thesematerials are easy to process, comprise advantageous surfaceproperties—in particular a high static friction, and provide a highlevel of waterproofness.

The shell may be a bladder or a carcass arranged onto a bladder. Abladder provides the necessary airtightness of the ball and a carcassstabilizes the bladder and protects it against external shocks.

The step of filling the at least one gap with the filling material maycomprise adjusting the filling quantity per time unit to thecross-sectional area of the gap. It is therefore guaranteed that the gapis filled as uniformly as possible with the filling material. Possiblefluctuations for the width of the gap are compensated.

The cross-sectional area of the gap may be determined in real time bymeans of an optical method. The determination of the cross-sectionalarea, i.e., the width of the gap in the simplest case if the thicknessof the panels is assumed to be constant, by means of optical methods isrelatively simple to carry out and enables an immediate adjustment ofthe filling quantity per unit of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the following detailed description, embodiments of the presentinvention are explained in more detail with reference to the followingfigures:

FIG. 1 shows a ball according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2 shows a gap formed between two panels according to someembodiments;

FIGS. 3a-3d show a method for manufacturing a ball according to someembodiments;

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary method step according to some embodiments,wherein the filling material is applied onto the shell from the outsideby means of a robot arm;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining analternative manufacturing method according to some embodiments;

FIG. 6 shows the shell of the ball inserted in a mold together withpanels according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments and variations of the present invention are described inmore detail below.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a ball 11 according to some embodiments.The ball 11 may be in particular a soccer ball. However, the presentinvention is not limited to a soccer ball and may be also used for ballsof other sports such as basketball, volleyball, rugby, football, tennis,etc.

The ball 11 comprises a shell with a plurality of panels on the outsideof the shell. The shell is not shown in FIG. 1 as it is covered with thepanels. Two of the plurality of panels from FIG. 1 are referred to withthe reference numerals 12 a and 12 b respectively. Overall, the ball 11shown in FIG. 1 comprises six panels. In principle, a ball according tosome embodiments may comprise any number of panels, but at least two. Inthe embodiment of FIG. 1, the ball 11 also comprises more panels whichare not designated by a reference numeral. As far as within the presentinvention the word “plurality” is used, this means “two or more”.

The shell may be a bladder which is usually used for bails in order toprevent air escaping from the ball. For example, a bladder may bemanufactured from bowel, latex, or rubber. The bladder may be reinforcedwith a carcass to prevent a damage of the bladder through externalshocks. In this case, the bladder forms, together with the carcass, theshell. The bladder may have a valve (not shown in the figures) to enableinflating of the ball 11.

For example, the panels 12 a, 12 b may be manufactured from leather,synthetic leather, or plastic. The panels may be glued on the shell,welded, sewn, or bonded with the shell by means of another appropriatebonding method. For example, it is possible that the shell is completelycoated with an adhesive or is completely immersed into an adhesive.Afterwards, the panels 12 a, 12 b may be put on the shell.Alternatively, it is also possible that the panels 12 a, 12 b are coatedwith an adhesive on one side and then put on the shell with the adhesiveside. For example, the adhesive may be a melt adhesive exposed forinstance to infrared radiation for activation.

The panels 12 a, 12 b are arranged in such a way that there is at leastone gap between them. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, there is a gapbetween the panel 12 a and the panel 12 b. A gap according to someembodiments is understood to mean the panels do not touch in the area ofthe gap and a free space is formed between the respective panels. If thegap was not filled with a filling material according to someembodiments, the shell on which the panels 12 a and 12 b are arrangedwould be visible through the gap. However according to some embodiments,two panels may form a gap in one area and touch each other in anotherarea.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, it is also shown that the at least one gapis filled with a filling material 13. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, thefilling material 13 fills the gap in such a way that the outside of theshell is completely covered inside the gap which is why the shell is notvisible in FIG. 1. The filling material 13 may be a cured fillingmaterial being liquid before the curing. For example, the fillingmaterial 13 may comprise polyurethane or silicone.

In an embodiment of the invention (not shown in FIG. 1), the fillingmaterial 13 may comprise a lighting element. For example, this may be anLED, OLED, Micro-LED or a phosphorescent or chemiluminescent material,in particular a material lighting in the dark. In principle, it isfurther possible to position a light source in the center of the balland to arrange fiber optics in the filling material 13 which lead thelight from the center of the ball to the outside.

The filling material 13 may comprise at least one electronic element(not shown in FIG. 1). For example, the electronic element may be anRFID or NFC tag. The RFID or NFC tag may be read out by an appropriatereceiver. For example, information about the ball (e.g., model or serialnumber, a certificate of authenticity or certificate of origin, etc.)may be stored in the RFID or NFC tag.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the filling material 13 fills completelythe at least one gap, i.e. the underlying shell of the ball 11 is notvisible. However, in another embodiment, the filling material 13 couldnot completely fill the gap, i.e., the underlying shell is at leastvisible in a potential area of the gap.

At least one panel of the plurality of panels may comprise a pseudo seam(not shown in FIG. 1) which extends over at least a part of an outersurface of the panel. A pseudo seam is a groove-shaped recess on theouter surface of a panel 12 a, 12 b. Unlike a seam of a hand-sewn ball,a pseudo seam is thus not formed by the sewing of two adjacent panels,but is formed on a panel as a groove in order to imitate the seams ofhand-sewn balls. The pseudo seam may be filled with the filling material13 in the context of some embodiments. The filling material 13 maythereby almost completely fill the pseudo seam.

FIG. 2 shows a gap 21 formed between two panels 12 a and 12 b in thecontext of some embodiments and a pseudo seam 22 in cross section. InFIG. 2, it is also shown that the pseudo seam 22 as well as the gap 21is filled with filling material 13. In the example of FIG. 2, the pseudoseam 22 and the gap 21 are filled with filling material until the sameheight HF so that a minimum recess VM is given. The minimum recess VM ispreferably at least 1.5 mm in order to guarantee the optimum flightproperties of the ball.

Viewed from the outside the difference between the gap 21 and the pseudoseam 22 advantageously does not show. Thus, the ball 11 may bestructured in almost arbitrary ways by means of pseudo seams. However,it is also conceivable that the height HF of the filling material 13 inthe gap 21 and the pseudo seam 22 and thus also the minimum recess VMare different so that the gap 21 and the pseudo seam 22 may be opticallydistinguished viewed from the outside.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the panels 12 a, 12 b comprise lateral edgesof the panels 23 a, 23 b passing in parallel to each other as well asouter surfaces of the panels 24 a, 24 b. A chamfered bar 25 a, 25 bconnects each of the lateral edges of the panels 23 a, 23 b with theouter surfaces 24 a, 24 b. By this type of forming in the shownembodiment a funnel-shaped or Y-shaped contour of the cross section ofthe gap 21 is pretended. It is an advantage if the gap as shown in FIG.2 is filled with filling material 13 in such a way that the fillingmaterial 13 extends into an area between the chamfered surfaces 25 a, 25b. The height HF of the filling material 13 is thereby higher than theheight HPS of the lateral edges of the panels 23 a, 23 b and lower thanthe total height HPG of the panels 12 a, 12 b. It is particularlyadvantageous if the height HF of the filling material 13 is onlyslightly higher than the height HPS of the lateral edges of the panels23 a, 23 b. It is further conceivable that a surface 26 of the fillingmaterial 13 comprises a convex or concave shape as indicated in FIG. 2by dashed lines. By a convex or concave shape the flight properties ofthe manufactured ball may be influenced selectively. In this way, thehaptic or optical properties can be further influenced.

A surface 26 of the filling material 13 in the pseudo seam 22 may alsocomprise a convex or concave curvature.

By the method according to some embodiments for manufacturing a ball, asdescribed below, the height HF of the filling material or the minimumrecess VM is adjustable individually depending on the desired flightproperties.

A method for manufacturing a ball, in particular a soccer ball,according to so embodiments is explained below by means of FIGS. 3a, 3b,3c , and 3 d.

The method comprises as a first step providing a shell 31. This may be,as already explained, a bladder or a bladder reinforced with a carcass.In a next step, a plurality of panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d areprovided. For example, the panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d may be punchedout from respective leather, synthetic leather, or plastic sheeting. Itis also conceivable that the panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d aremanufactured using an injection molding process, deep-drawing process,or by means of a 3D-printer.

In a farther step, the plurality of panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d isarranged on the shell so that there is at least one gap between at leasttwo adjacent panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d. In FIG. 3a , two panels 12 aand 12 b are arranged on the shell 31. In FIG. 3 b, a further panel 12 chas been arranged on the shell 31 and finally in FIG. 3c a fourth panel12 d has been arranged on the shell 31 so that the shell 31 is almostcompletely covered except for the intentionally remaining gaps 21between the panels. The gap is provided in such a way that adjacentpanels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d forming the gap do not touch. As explainedabove in the context of FIG. 1, the panels may for instance be glued onthe shell.

The method comprises, finally, the step of filling the at least one gap21 with a filling material 13 as shown in FIG. 3d . The step of fillingmay be carried out in such a way that the filling material 13 fills thegap in such a way that the outside of the shell 31 is completely coveredinside the gap 21.

As shown in FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d , the method also comprises the step offorming a pseudo seam 22 on the panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d whichextends over at least a part of an outer surface of the panels 12 a, 12b, 12 c, 12 d. Instead of all panels, a pseudo seam 22 may also beformed on a subset of panels, e.g., on one panel. The pseudo seam 22 maybe cut or milled in the respective panel 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d.Alternatively, the pseudo seam 22 may be formed for instance in therespective and 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d during the injection molding.

As shown in FIG. 3d , the pseudo seams 22 are filled with the fillingmaterial 13 (e.g. on polyurethane or silicone base) so that viewed fromthe outside it may not be optically distinguished between the gaps 21between the respective panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d and the pseudoseams 22 on the respective panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d.

If the filling material 13 is a liquid filling material 13, the methodcan further comprise the step of curing the liquid filling material 13.For example, the filling material 13 may be cured by means of heat or UVlight.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplarily method step, wherein filling material 13 isapplied onto the shell 31 from the outside by means of a robot arm 41 inorder to fill the at least one gap 21. To this end, the robot arm 41comprises a nozzle 42 by which liquid filling material 13 is filled intothe gap 21. This method is a three-dimensional application technique.The filling material 13 thus enters from the outside of the shell 31into the gap 21 with this manufacturing method.

The robot arm 41 may comprise a sensor (not shown in FIG. 4) whichmeasures the depth and the width of the gap 21 during the applying ofthe filling material 13. The quantity of the filling material 13 perunit of time to be applied may thereby at least be adjustable to thewidth of the gap 21 in order to obtain a gap preferably uniformly filledwith filling material 13. Alternatively, the sensor may also measure thedepth of the gap 21 or measure completely the geometry of the crosssection. Fluctuations in the distance of the panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12d to each other may thus be compensated. The robot arm 41 furthercomprises preferably a metering device by which an ejection of thefilling material 13 may be controlled selectively.

An alternative manufacturing method according to some embodiments isshown in the following by means of the schematic cross-sectional view ofFIG. 5 and FIG. 6. In this method, the panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d areinserted in a mold 51. The mold 51 is then closed so that the panels 12a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d are moved in the direction of a centrally fixedshell 31 (a bladder or a bladder reinforced with a carcass).Alternatively, the plurality of panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d may bearranged on the shell 31 by, for example, a robot arm and the shell 31with the panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d may then be arranged in the mold.For both alternatives, gaps 21 remain between the panels 12 a, 12 b, 12c, 12 d. At the same time, slits 52 remain between the panels 12 a, 12b, 12 c, 12 d and the shell 31. By the forming of the slits 52, it is,for example, not necessary that in advance the shell 31 and/or thepanels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d are coated with an adhesive.

FIG. 6 shows the shell 31 arranged in the mold 51 together with thepanels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d. The shell 31 is thereby pressurized withcompressed air over an inlet 61 in order to prevent a collapse of theshell 31. At the same time, the mold 51 exerts pressure to the panels 12a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d from the outside. By another inlet 62 in the mold51, liquid filling material 13 (e.g. liquid polyurethane) fills in thegaps 21 between the panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d as well as in theslits 52 between the panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d and the shell 31. Inthis alternative embodiment, both adjacent panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 dare bonded together and each of the panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d arebonded together with the shell 31 by the filling material 13.

Alternatively, the gaps 21 may also be filled without any forms by foambead applying and then cured in a heated mold. A filling by means offoam bead applying is just one example for a possible applying variantof the filling material 13 for the case that a foamed material is usedas filling material 13. The applied filling material 13 may therebycomprise different bead forms.

In the alternative embodiment of the method, the panels 12 a, 12 b, 12c, 12 d could only form bowls with a transparent outer shell and adecorative liner which are arranged in respective molds, supplied intheir exactly defined position and then back foamed by means of anappropriate polyurethane and simultaneously bonded with the carcass.

As shown in FIG. 6, the mold 51 may be suspended rotatably around avertical axis 63 and a horizontal axis 64. The method comprises then thestep of rotating the mold 51 so that the filling material 13 distributesessentially uniformly (i.e., within unavoidable fluctuations inproduction) in the gap 21.

It is further possible to combine the method according to FIG. 5 andFIG. 6 with the method according to FIG. 4. This makes it possible thatthe gaps 21 between the panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d and/or the slits52 between the panels 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d and the shell 31 are filledby means of the mold 51 with the filling material 13 in accordance withthe method according to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. Additionally, the injectionor applying method from the outside according to FIG. 4 may be used forfilling the pseudo seams with the filling material 13.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

11 ball

12 a-12 d panels

13 filling material

21 gap

22 pseudo seam

23 a, 23 b lateral edges of the panels

24 a, 24 b outer surfaces of the panels

25 a, 25 b chamfered surfaces

26 surface of the filled filling material

31 shell

41 robot arm

42 nozzle

51 mold

52 slits

61 air inlet

62 inlet for the filling material

63 vertical axis

64 horizontal axis

What is claimed is:
 1. A ball comprising: a shell with a plurality ofpanels on an outside of the shell, wherein the plurality of panels arearranged in such a way that there is a gap between two adjacent panels,and wherein the gap is at least partly filled with a filling material.2. The ball of claim 1, wherein the gap is designed in such a way thatthe two adjacent panels do not touch in the area of the gap.
 3. The ballof claim 1, wherein the filling material fills the gap in such a waythat the outside of the shell is completely covered inside the gap. 4.The ball of claim 1, wherein the filling material is a cured fillingmaterial that was liquid before the curing.
 5. The ball of claim 1,wherein the filling material comprises polyurethane or silicone.
 6. Theball of claim 1, wherein the filling material comprises a lightingelement.
 7. The ball of claim 1, wherein the filling material comprisesan electronic element.
 8. The ball of claim 1, wherein the fillingmaterial fills about 50% or more of the cross-sectional area of the gap.9. The ball of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of panels comprisesa pseudo seam extending over a part of an outer surface of the panel.10. The ball of claim 9, wherein the pseudo seam is filled with thefilling material.
 11. The ball of claim 1, wherein the shell is abladder or a carcass arranged onto a bladder.
 12. A method ofmanufacturing a ball, comprising the steps of: providing a shell;providing a plurality of panels; arranging the plurality of panels onthe shell so that there is a gap between two adjacent panels; andfilling the gap at least partly with a filling material.
 13. The methodof claim 12, wherein the two adjacent panels do not touch at the gap.14. The method of claim 12, wherein the filling material completelycovers an outside of the shell inside the gap.
 15. The method of claim12, wherein the filling material is liquid and the method furthercomprises the step of curing the liquid filling material.
 16. The methodof claim 12, wherein the filling material is applied from the outside inorder to fill the gap.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the fillingmaterial is applied by a three-dimensional application technique. 18.The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of forming a pseudoseam onto one of the plurality of panels, which extends over a part ofan outer surface of the panel.
 19. The method of claim 18, furthercomprising the step of filling the pseudo seam with the fillingmaterial.
 20. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of filling thegap with a filling material is arranged in such a way that the fillingmaterial enters from an outside of the shell into the gap.
 21. Themethod of claim 12, further comprising the step of arranging theplurality of panels in a mold.
 22. The method of claim 21, furthercomprising the step of supplying the plurality of panels to the shellvia the mold so that the gap is formed between the two adjacent panelsand gaps are formed between the plurality of panels and the shell. 23.The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of injecting thefilling material into the gaps between the panels and the shell.
 24. Themethod of claim 21, further comprising the step of rotating the mold sothat the filling material is uniformly distributed in the gap.
 25. Themethod of claim 12, further comprising the steps of: arranging theplurality of panels on the shell by a robot arm; and arranging the shellwith the plurality of panels in a mold.
 26. The method of claim 12,wherein the filling material comprises polyurethane or silicone.
 27. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the shell is a bladder or a carcass arrangedonto a bladder.
 28. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of fillingthe gap with the filling material comprises adjusting the fillingquantity per unit of time to the cross-sectional area of the gap. 29.The method of claim 28, wherein the cross-sectional area of the gap isdetermined in real time via an optical method.